Friday, August 1, 2008

In the continuing wacky adventures of The Decider before he graciously steps down, MSN has decided to cover Bush's proposal of a bill that would "protecting health-care workers who object to abortion, and to birth-control methods they consider tantamount to abortion".

The Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing a draft regulation that would deny federal funding to any hospital, clinic, health plan or other entity that does not accommodate employees who want to opt out of participating in care that runs counter to their personal convictions, including providing birth-control pills, IUDs and the Plan B emergency contraceptive.

This reminds me of a story that ran in USA today last August (coincidentally enough) about a lesbian couple who had been denied access to artificial insemination because the doctor objected on moral grounds. They sued, not because the doctor rejected the mother-to-be, but because he refused refer them to a hospital where the procedure could be carried out. The article also quoted single mothers who had faced a similar challenge.

As a Christian, I can understand that there are a lot of moral conflicts that could meet any person in any work environment, and for that reason, these proposed regulations could have their pros. However, I fear this:

The regulation would apply to anyone who participates in "any activity with a logical connection to a procedure, health service or health service program, or research activity. . . . This includes referral, training and other arrangements of the procedure, health service, or research activity."Critics argue that the broad definitions of abortion and the types of workers who could object would cover everyone from the top doctor at a hospital to the janitor.

And this: The regulation could trump dozens of state laws that require health plans to cover birth control, pharmacists to fill prescriptions for contraceptives, and hospitals to offer emergency contraception to women who have been raped, critics said.

"You could imagine a group of people with less than honorable intentions seeking to get hired at a family planning clinic with the specific objective of obstructing access. Under this regulation, there is little you could do about it," said Jill Morrison of the National Women's Law Center.

Most importantly, this:

Others said the rule could have additional implications, including justifying discrimination against gays, single women or others seeking health care."As soon as you have a definition in one part of federal law, it can become the inspiration for the reinterpretation of other statutes," said R. Alta Charo, a lawyer and bioethicist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Because of this:

The most controversial section defines abortion as "any of the various procedures -- including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action -- that results in the termination of life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation."That definition would include most forms of hormonal birth control and the IUD, which most major medical groups believe do not constitute abortion because they primarily affect ovulation or fertilization and not an embryo once it has implanted in the womb.

Here's where I try to make suggestions, knowing that drafting a bill that doesn't infringe on some person's rights is problematic at best, and that this particular government has been trying for ages to negate the rulings of Roe vs. Wade without thinking about the implications to women's health (see previous post on John McCain's view on current issues).I'd like to say that if you work in a public institution, you should know that your duty is to serve the people in the best manner possible, and if you cannot provide a service, you should refer that person to someone who can. But I know that some people probably wish to get out of the public heath care system and into a private institution.All I can say is that restrictions on contraception, abortion, and other things that apply to planned parenting should be limited to private institutions, who can make up their own rules and owe nothing to the public or the government. Governmental institutions should serve the people.

Though military workers may disagree with the war that is currently being fought, it is generally considered their duty to follow orders as long as those orders are lawful.Lawyers are expected to make inquiries into the guilt or innocence of their clients so that no guilty men or women are set free, and no innocents detained, and they are expected to do their best to uphold the law despite personal feelings. Medical workers are expected to uphold their duties, which is to help people solve their health concerns. This does not mean they always have to go against their beliefs, but if they work in a public location they should at least be required to give the people a resource for what they choose to do. The path to contraception should not be closed off for any one party's interest. That doesn't mean that consideration for each party's feelings can't be considered in full.

Update of previous commentary found here.Fat Princess continues to make headlines -- not because it's a highly anticipated gaming marvel, or because it's graphics kick any particular hindquaters, but because of protest on the blogosphere -- particular Shakesville's Melissa McEwan's protests.MSNBC's Kristin Kalning wrote a darling little column on the scandal -- one that drips with sincerity, fair play, and decent writing abilities.

This story was so ludicrous that it caught my attention. Every once in a while, "respectable" televised news programs will air a segment that is so beyond trivial that it should be brought to their attention how meaningless it is.

Apparently on Monday, July 28th, The View hosted a pop singer by the name of Katy Perry. She sang her hit "I Kissed a Girl", which along with her song "UR So Gay" has received a lot of criticism on being too controversial for her audience's demographic.

Britney Spears, who at one time was idolized by eight-year-olds, once preformed in a nude-colored catsuit. What could be so controversial?

But what really has critics and conservative parents outraged is that at the end of the performance, Whoopi Goldberg gave Perry a little peck. The kiss in question was on the same level as some European greetings. Yet, according to the ten minute debate that aired on last night's episode of The O'Reilly Factor, this "controversy" shouldn't have been aired by ABC at all, as some parents are concerned that their daughters could be affected by the media's blatant acceptance of experimentation.

If the parents are letting their impressionable daughters watch The View, especially during a performance of a song titled "I Kissed a Girl", and are concerned that a small kiss from Goldberg is going to send their daughters over the homosexual edge, then they should really learn to control what their kids watch. Instead, they make censorship demands, something that should never happen in a society that claims that freedom of speech is a priority. The level of outrage that has occurred over something so minor suggests just how deep homophobic beliefs and feelings run in America.

Also, The O'Reilly Factor could be talking about something more meaningful that a harmless incident that happened on a daytime talk show. But, as I've never been that impressed with Bill O'Reilly, I can't say I'm surprised.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

WomanistMusing'sRenee guest posted information about a very intriguing commodity on Shakesville today. I'm sure that soon everyone, in addition to their Red Bulls, Rockstars, and Monsters, will be downing countless numbers of Pussies.

Isn't it a testament to our creative abilities as human beings that we can find the ingenuity to market a popular item like an energy drink under the crude pet name for a woman's vagina?

Created by a 21 year old who apparently was bored and mixing drinks in the middle of the night, Pussy has become an instant hit in Britain, and was featured in the British show "The F Word".

As delicious as I'm sure Pussy is, I wonder if anyone would be equally enthusiastic about drinking Testes (twice the flavor of other drinks) or Prick (Hard on energy).

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: other people can have the energies of red bulls, monsters, or rock stars, but I prefer to have Pussy energy.

Pussy is on sale for a mere £36.00 per case (24 cans) or £5.99 for a sample pack of 2 cans. With the current exchange rate, that's just $72 per case (just think of the savings)! Now you can be the misogynistic hit of any party. Just pop that virgin top, and drain. Then dispose of your useless Pussy in the nearest recyclable bin.

McCain's campaign has recently released videos accusing the media of being in love with Obama, and with good reason. Very rarely in this tempestuous season have the issues that McCain stands for or against been addressed -- even in his own speeches. Often in the CNN televised speeches given by McCain, he spends at least half of his time talking about his opponent's weaknesses...and not about what he believes or will do. I believe that McCain plans to win on a scare tactic: "Obama will bring more taxes, will not solve the economic crisis, and will continue our dependence on foreign oil".Georgia Women Vote made the comment that McCain's website even is Obama central.So to remind myself what McCain stands for, besides back lashing, I went to his campaign website and took a look.One of the first things that caught my eye was his plan to repeal the decisions of Roe vs. Wade and return verdict to state level. His ultimate goal in abolishing abortion is outlined, containing quips like "the fight for life will be one of courage and compassion - the courage of a pregnant mother to bring her child into the world and the compassion of civil society to meet her needs and those of her newborn baby". The way he phrases it, it makes it sound as though society has forced these women to abort their pregnancies. One of his first tactics is to relieve individuals of responsibility and make it a philosophical fight rather than what it would be if abortion were made illegal again: a medical one. His next issue outlined is adoption. While adoption is fantastic, I love the subtle hint to abortion, yet again, in his plan to " promote adoption as a first option for women struggling with a crisis pregnancy". The next time I meet someone who plans on having an abortion, I'm going to encourage them to call it a "crisis pregnancy".McCain seems to encourage a time warp of sorts -- back into the time when contraception was illegal, when abortion was punishable by law, and when women had to go to back alleys or endanger themselves with coat hangers. By repealing Roe vs. Wade, we put an entire generation of work in danger, and we put ourselves in danger. We are already in the middle of a food shortage globally. We cannot afford another age of baby boomers. We cannot afford to continue on our path of abstinence only education. We cannot afford an age where condoms are not available, and STDs spread more quickly because people do not know how to protect themselves. I encourage voter's to go to each candidates website, especially the three leading: Bob Barr, John McCain, and BarackObama. Only by understanding the issues from each candidates perspective can we vote intelligently and bring ourselves forward, rather than backtracking into the past, or (what could be considered worse) continuing on the fruitless path we're on. Everyone needs to vote in November. Rights are endanger, and policies that are negative to the health of our country are being proposed.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

YES! Finally, someone for Adam West to play with! He's been wanting a nemesis for so long. You hear that, Adam? It's time for you to drag out your tights and cape, and stop the ever narcissistic Joker!

Los Angeles Times reports a man who apparently dressed up like the Joker and attempted to steal Batman memorabilia. One of the most intriguing parts of this particular crime caper is that Spencer "Joker" Taylor of Three Rivers, Michigan apparently does not have a phone listing in that area.

So we have a criminal who dresses like a clown who comes equipped with a mysterious background and youthful energy (did I mention he's twenty?). The only problem: Adam West will have a hard time bringing down the youthful Joker...or so one would think. Apparently Batman's greatest enemy was detained by theater employees.

One must remember that in Issue #47 Batman discovered the Joker's greatest fear: popcorn.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Here's something interesting. Apparently a feminist gamer group is protesting a new game released by Sony: Fat Princess. Yahoo! News debates reveals the inner conflict.

Debuting at last week's E3 expo, the colorful Fat Princess is a capture-the-flag game with a twist: you can thwart capture attempts by locking the once-thin princess in a dungeon and stuffing her full of cake, thereby increasing her girth and making her harder for your enemies to haul back to home base.

Feminist Gamer's"Mighty Ponygirl" rings in diplomatically, suggesting a new way to play the game altogether.

"Instead of running out into the forest to find cake to fatten up the princess with, why not go out and find gold (which is a lot heavier than cake) to stuff into a treasure chest. The more gold in the chest, the heavier it would be, and the harder it would be to carry," she said, before adding, "Oh, but that's not as "cute" as cake and fat chicks. Right."

Over at Shakesville, however, writer Melissa McEwan cuts to the chase, telling Sony she's "positively thrilled to see such unyielding dedication to creating a new generation of fat-hating, heteronormative ---holes."

I tend to agree with my gaming sisters (what else is new?), but for other reasons. The game tends to be offensive because it proposes that a woman is a flag, which brings to mind the point in history where women were legally possessions. If Sony finds it hard to understand why the game offends feminists, I challenge them to replace the rotund female with a burly black man carrying gardening tools.However, in defense of Sony, they are merely following the formula for best selling games. There are other games that are wildly popular and make it their business to be as offensive as possible. "Grand Theft Auto", for example. It is impossibly for any video game to be polite and agreeable to society. Video games are offensive simply by being video games. "Mario" is offensive to some people because they see the numerous mushrooms as referring to a drug subculture, and believe that those games are influencing their children to buy drugs. Some people might find Sonic offensive because Sonic's main goal is to gather coins as quickly as possible, thereby pushing forth the sin of greed.It's not how the game is offensive, it's in what way the game attempts to be offensive. Sony's "Fat Princess" is a disgrace to the very idea of video-games, not because of it's slightly off-color message, but because of lack of originality. If you're going to be offensive, do it properly.For instance, what if the object of the game was not to drive the princess into obesity, but to cure the princess of anorexia and rescue her from enemies that are rapists and obsessed with Twiggy? As most of us know, the purpose of capturing any princess is to disgrace her kingdom and to take advantage of her. And most of us also know that the market Sony is pushing the game towards finds people who are overweight unattractive. So, in making Fat Princess obese, her rescuers could lose interest in her, and attempt shove her off on their enemies. So the enemies wouldn't want her either, and her rescuers would have to make her skinnier to make her desirable again. All of this "off-and-on" attention would give the princess a complex and cause her to regain her eating disorder. Also the amount of sugar she took in would make her diabetic, and you would have to try and get your enemies to take the fat princess back before her extremities fell off. In the bonus level you could have an endless supply of insulin to keep her healthy.Now you've made a game worth being offended over.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

I have made my first protest video. I think it went rather well. Mostly, it's a protest of using religious grounds to harrass or belittle other people. But it also applies to all hate crimes, and is a warning that hatred is petty, stupid, and useless.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

While surfing the 'Cartoons and Humor' section of the New York Times' website, an interesting story caught my eye. The full story can be found on Borowitz Report.com.

Saying he is "sympathetic to late night comedians' struggle to find jokesto make about me," Sen. BarackObama (D-Ill) today issued a list of officialcampaign-approved BarackObama jokes.

The five jokes, which Sen. Obama said he is making available to all comedians free of charge, are as follows:

BarackObama and a kangaroo pull up to a gas station. The gas station attendant takes one look at the kangaroo and says, "You know, we don't get many kangaroos here." BarackObama replies, "At these prices, I'm not surprised. That's why we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil."

A traveling salesman knocks on the door of a farmhouse, and much to his surprise, BarackObama answers the door. The salesman says, "I was expecting the farmer's daughter." BarackObama replies, "She's not here. The farm was foreclosed on because of sub prime loans that are making a mockery of the American Dream."

A horse walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Why the long face?" BarackObama replies, "His jockey just lost his health insurance, which should be the right of all Americans."

Q: What's black and white and red all over? BarackObama: The New Yorker magazine, which should be embarrassed after publishing such a tasteless and offensive cover, which I reject and denounce.

A Christian, a Jew and BarackObama are in a rowboat in the middle of the ocean. BarackObama says, "This joke isn't going to work because there's no Muslim in this boat."

On one hand, I can see the humor in these policy jokes. It's refreshing to find a candidate who can make not-so-subtle jabs at comedians stunned reactions. On the other hand, they're not stunned for lack of material. They're stunned because so often this political season, jokes that are made in favor of a candidate are denounced as offensive, and jokes that are meant to be offensive are found humorous.The best example of this is, of course, the infamous cover of the New Yorker. Personally, I found it funny. Why? Because the New Yorker was making fun of the absurd allegations put forth by emails, hate-mongers, and Fox News, in order to make the public realize how absurd their fear was. And I understand why the Obamas would be so upset. Some people who don't understand satire would view it more as a confirmation of their fears rather than a joke. But the Obamas should have just said that. "We don't want our persons portrayed in that kind of negative light, linking us with Islamic terrorists". Instead, they said that it was "offensive to Muslim Americans". No. It's not. Assuming that all Muslims are terrorists is offensive to Muslim Americans. Proposing that having an Islamic president would be a bad thing is offensive to Muslim Americans. A satirical cover making fun of fears based on nothing is not offensive to Muslim Americans.And I would go off on how stupid the term Muslim American is (I don't insist on being catered to as a Christian American, and I've never heard my nephew assert his rights as an Atheist American), but that's an entirely different rant.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

As time grows closer and closer for me to go to college, my concerns increase over whether or not I will be able to find a church that fits my needs. After all, I am in the perfect church for me right now. But Athens will be a different theological ballpark, and I wish to choose wisely.So while leafing through an informational brochure I was given during orientation about the campus churches provided, I noticed one dedicated to Baha'ism. I had no idea what that was, so I looked it up. And while I still have more reading to do on the theological principal of Baha'ism, I was distracted by a radical "doom-and-gloom" Christian site preaching the different theological evils that threaten to rip our souls from our spinal chords. And while I was reading about how Baha'is were demonic forces, I happened to notice a link to another social heresy.Can you guess what it was?FeminismOn the Jeremiah Project's site, you can find out how every feminist leader has set forth an agenda to change the traditional Christian church to a New Age fellowship that worships the ancient goddess, how feminism is rooted in Satanism rather than the equality of the sexes, and how Christian women who advocate understanding and political/social equality really came from abusive homes, are equipped with weak wills/minds, and how women in the workforce are destroying American values and will eventually kill the country.Yes. I'm a witch.And with my Satan worshipping and magic brews, I will bring about the will of the goddess to smite the ignorance of this pseudo-Christian, who spreads hate and intolerance, rather than truth and Christ's love. I'm sure that some of the people he has quoted, and some of the incidents he cites, have some sort of merit. I'm sure that in the Feminist movement there are radicals that wish for every woman to worship a goddess, or believe that patriarchal churches are indeed destroying women.I also realize that, ironically, my anger over his intolerance is against the Christian doctrine. Which tells readers two things about me:1) I am not perfect and need to continue my relationship with God.2) I hate stupidity, which leads to number 1.More than likely, I will be back later with more on the Jeremiah Project, right after I finish reading The Feminist Infiltration of the Church. Should be entertaining.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Using an arsenal of rockets, artillery and aircraft, China will try to blast the clouds out of the sky, a meteorologist told a Beijing magazine, through a technique which falls under the umbrella of "cloud seeding." - CNN

According to dailytech.com, China is so confident that the war on weather will be successful that it has planned to host the Olympics in a roofless stadium nicknamed "The Bird's Nest".

Daily tech outlines how China plans to control the amount of rain. China also plans to have influence over amount of smog in the city during the Olympics. They explain that as a last ditch attempt, China will shoot concentrated amounts of liquid nitrogen into the clouds in an attempt to make the rain drops smaller so that the clouds can pass over the where the Olympics will be held.

You know, seeing as how China is having just as many natural disasters as we in America are, I'm going to guess that firing off weapons into the atmosphere probably won't help the pollution problems they have that caused the smog problems they already have. Which means that every runner at the Olympics should feel very proud of themselves. They have faced a challenge that China has shouted to the world at large: "I bet you can't run while breathing".

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

I love having a colorful family. As a writer, a colorful family is my greatest asset. Do you think Hemingway had a colorful family? Of course not. That's why he shot himself. You have so many topics to write about when you have a colorful family.When people say "colorful" today, they normally mean politically incorrect. That's the politically correct term for it. Truly PC people know that to be politically correct you must be PC about your political correctness. I'm politically correct. My family is colorful.Another fact that aids my ability to write is the many eras my family members span. Take my paternal grandfather, for example. He's ninety, one of the kindest men you will ever meet, soft spoken, loving, sexist, and a white supremest. He's allowed to have the last two traits without being at fault, of course, because he's ninety. When he was young, it was fashionable to be a white supremest. They had entire movements in Germany devoted to it. White supremacy really didn't go out of style until the seventies. By the time the seventies came around, he was already close to sixty, and more than set in his ways. My grandfather's racist comments must be taken with a grain of salt. Ignorance may be bliss for those suffering from it, but for the rest of us, it's pure comedy. Don't believe me? Watch any Chris Rock comedy special. There is a reason that Time named him one of the most influential people alive. An example of said racist comments would be his recent excursion to the hospital. He's having slight trouble with his colon, and will be having surgery tomorrow (pray that he comes through safely).When he was first admitted, he doctor was a black gentleman and so was his cardiologist. Later, in the ICU, his nurse was Indian. He wondered aloud why we couldn't hire doctors that weren't foreigners or "niggers". Interesting enough, though, in his tirade he seemed to imply that black people were foreigners as well. it makes one wonder if white people are the only true Americans (in his mind, at least). Are Native Americans truly native to the average ninety year old? And are white foreigners American?I've also noticed that racism, and most other frowned-upon isms, are acceptable before 4 p.m. on local daytime television (Jerry Springer, Judge Judy, soap operas). Does that mean that all screen writers for shows before 4 are ninety year-old white supremest? Or does it simply mean that all white-supremest over the age of 89 sleep after 4 p.m.?I'd like to make the point, however, that if we were truly honest with ourselves, we'd realize that we are all colorful. For example, one day my children or grandchildren may be looking back on the post, and believe that I am a youth supremest (which is much like any other supremest, but with a Starbucks).

Thursday, May 8, 2008

I love reading columns. A well written, thought-out, and (in the right scenario) humorous column can cheer me up on the worst news day. And lately we've had several of those.So while sorting through the news page on MSN, I stumbled upon this treasure. It entails a certain writer's experience with being a vegetarian, and (more-so than the meatlessness) the strange reactions he's received over the years.

In similar fashion, I have decided to disclose my past experimentation. Now, once I go to college, I plan fully to convert to leaf-eating. But as I live with my parents right now (born-and-raised deep Southern Baptist. The cow isn't sinful, but leaving it's fleshy carcass unchewed is) I wish to go without the normal conversation that revolves around whether humus or hamburger would win in a culinary competition.

Now, first let me give an expanation for my herbivore behavior. I have nothing against meat eaters. It has to happen. Hunting is fine, as long as you eat as much of the animal as possible. No hunting for sport. Want to eat a cow? Sure. Just kill it in a humane way. Same thing with all the other animals.

But me...well, I've lost my taste for meat. I start to chew it, and then the flavor suddenly falls. I suddenly think about how much better a Boca patty tastes. I blame this on the trip I took to the Holy Land when I was in third grade. You try seeing slabs of meat covered with flies hanging by Captain Hook's spare parts. Not pretty. And definently not sanitary.

And I have that flashback everytime my mom drags me past the meat department in the store. Besides that, the very concept of chewing on something else's carcass is disgusting. And do you know what a hotdog is made of? Do you know what jerky is? Gross...But to each his own. However, that maxim is not exactly one that is frequently practiced in my home. So when my father found out that had gone sans meat for six weeks during my stay at the Governor's Honors Program, he nearly gave birth to the cow he aspired to eat. According to him, meat is God's gift to men, and if you don't eat it, you are a heretic and will go straight to hell.I bet a Boca patty is tasty grilled over satanic fire.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

<< This picture is the subject of a Fox News report. A woman saw Jesus in her ultrasound. All I have to ask is...where is the kid? I mean, I see Jesus, but I'm thinking maybe the kid is breached? Head at the bottom, and that's his legs...and his, well, butt where Jesus' head is?

Another good reason why Obama should win. Coffee fuels both politics and the media. If Hillary can't get the coffee, then Hillary definitely can't get the votes.Side note: super delegates don't drink coffee.This is a pointless post. Mainly because this is pointless news.Oh, and go see Iron Man!!!AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PRAY!!! Not just today, too, because you can pray other days besides the National Day of Prayer.

Monday, April 28, 2008

I found this interesting. As a resident of the South, I want to know what laws are in place that keep black voters from the polls. And the quote from Brian C. Bosma (R) was a little ridiculous. Of course most people intend to vote more than once.But really, overall, I have to say I agree with the Senate's decision (hear that, Alex? I agree with the majority Republican vote). Most people have some form of I.D. these days. Even if you don't have a driver's licence, chances are you have work I.D., school I.D., a library card, a birth certificate...go to CVS or Walgreen's and get a passport. Something. It does not take that long. Plus there has only been one confirmed case of voter fraud entered into the case since 2004, and the only other evidence they have at hand consists of voter fraud in the late 1800s, and 19 ghost votes cast in 2004. That really doesn't speak well for the importance their case holds. Obviously if anyone is being inconvenienced by the strict voting laws in Indiana, they aren't coming forward in droves.

Also, the last time I checked, you needed I.D. to purchase alcohol and cigarettes. You know, those lovely "we card" signs that decorate most convenience stores and Wal-marts? Are you telling me that out of all of these families that are affected by this law, none of them drink? Not a one?And if indeed at least one of these homes contains alcohol (as many of the homes in America do, regardless of their income), I want to know where they are getting it. The black market? The local speakeasy?The whole argument seems a bit contrived.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to find this article, but still, I found it extremely interesting.

There was a lengthy argument in the comment section saying that the girl in question lost her right to constitutionally express herself because when she witnessed about Jesus she witnessed to a captive audience. The debater said that had she said only that Jesus had helped her through school, she would be within her rights to sue, but since she witnessed to a crowd that had no choice but to listen, she was violating their rights.If that is the case, I have had my rights violated in several boring classes during the school year. My rights were violated during an unusually long week devoted to Ralph Waldo Emerson. My rights were violated while I listened in a state of captivity to people in the back of the room bad-mouth Martin Luther King in my Psychology/Sociology class. My rights have been violated during several lengthy, droning speeches given out at various award ceremonies.Free speech is free speech. Period. Senator Daniel Patrick was quoted saying "you are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts." Unless someone is saying in public that humans don't need oxygen, or that the ground is made of cheese, or some other ludicrous statement that can not be logically debunked, then they are entitled to say it. God's existence can not be scientifically proven or disproven, and until either event occurs, the young lady in question was entitled to say whatever she felt.I applaud her. I would like to say that in her situation, I would go a step further and not send out the apology email. But with-holding a high school diploma...that's heavy. That's four years of hard work, four years of top grades, thrown out the door. But at least she sued. And as soon as I can find a followup story, I'll tell you if she won.Oh. And I'd like reparation for twelve years of violated rights, please.

I'm relatively sure by now that everyone has heard about the Austrian man who held his daughter captive for 24 years. The poor woman was lured to the cellar when she was eleven years old, and has borne seven children to her father, one of which was a twin that died due to lack of proper care, three of which were adopted and fostered by the father and his wife, and three of which shared the basement with their mother.

His wife, Rosemarie, appears to have been unaware of the alleged crimes....

The rooms, covering an area of approximately 60 sq-metres, were equipped for sleeping and cooking, and with sanitary facilities.

"Everything was very, very narrow and the victim herself, the mother of these six or seven children, told us that this was being continually enlarged over the years," a spokesman said.

...

She disappeared on 28 August 1984 when, according to her testimony, Josef lured her into the cellar, drugging and handcuffing her before locking her up.

Her parents said they had received a letter in her handwriting a month later asking them not to search for her, and it was assumed she had run away.

-BBC news report

How do you miss that? Wouldn't your first clue be that your husband is continually spending time in the basement, expanding it mysteriously, and that he shows up dying to foster three kids? Wouldn't this woman want to go to the orphanage or state home where the foster kids were kept originally to meet them? Wouldn't she have to use their birth certificates or social security for something (such as enrolling them in school, for example)?

How do you not have to go down to your own basement for something in 24 years? And wouldn't most mothers ignore the note saying not to come looking for their child, and come looking for them anyways? This story reminds me of those people who find a python underneath their house that has been living there for months. You would think that they would find some clue earlier on that would give them some hint. Snake skins...or missing animals. Something.

To top off all the sickness...

Mr Polzer told the BBC that Josef had admitted to sexually abusing his daughter, named only as Elisabeth F, repeatedly during the time he imprisoned her.

He said Josef had told investigators that one of their children had died in infancy and that he had taken the body and thrown it into an incinerator in the building.

So, he picks out his favorite of the three children, starves one of the twins, and throws the body into the incinerator. Beautiful.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

I'm not a big fan of chain letters. I can't possibly tell you why. Maybe it's the fact that no matter how many times I read a passage that assures me I will drop dead if I do not forward it in thirty seconds to fifty people, I always stand alive at the end of the prescribed time. Maybe it's because they waste my time. Maybe it's because they sometimes carry trojans and such (and worse than that, misleading information that can only fuel ignorant thought). But my sister sent me one that sparked my interest:

Dear Friend,

On Wednesday, Senate Republicans filibustered the Lilly Ledbetter Fair PayAct, a law that would have overturned an appalling Supreme Court decision that practically abolished remedies for gender-based compensation discrimination in the workplace. In opposing this legislation, Senator John McCain said that if women want better-paying jobs, they just need more "education and training." Then, he didn't even show up for the vote. Let's tell Senator McCain that should stop blocking an up or down vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act if he wants to ensure equal rights for women under the law. Please have a look and take action. http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/mccain_vs_ledbetter/?r_by=27-1292351-NI2TzN&rc=mailto

Thanks!

So, of course, I fact checked. This presidential race has gotten pretty ugly in the past, and damaging rumors have been spread, such as Obama being a Muslim. I still find it unreasonable that we were willing to consider a Mormon and a bigoted preacher for the nomination, but not a Muslim --who turned out to actually be Christian, no less. Who knew?Just anyone who actually cared to check their sources. Anyways, back to the subject. Yahoo! News provided me with the necessary proof (thank you Associated Press!). After reading the entire article, and understanding under what circumstances the statement was made, I am even more appalled than I was originally. Alex, my closest friend and surrogate sister said that things like this make the Femi-nazi in me come out blazing. Well, she-Hitler is furious. On several occasions Alex and I have had conversations about McCain, and often I have stated that he creeps me out, but I didn't know why. Well, now I know that it's more than the fact that he sounds just like Dubya unless you're facing the television.

"I am all in favor of pay equity for women, but this kind of legislation, as istypical of what's being proposed by my friends on the other side of theaisle, opens us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems," the expected GOPpresidential nominee told reporters.

-Yahoo! News and AP

Translation: yeah, I understand that companies are taking advantage of women and making the pay gap an even greater divide. I understand that the actions I take against this bill is another set back against the ERA being ratified, which would guarantee that women cannot be discriminated against. To hell with the poverty and the single mothers. Why fight it?I really don't know why, but I expected something more from McCain than this show of chauvinistic behavior. What does he mean, "women need more education"? We need more education than a man to do the same job he is doing? Why doesn't he need the extra instruction? Is he special just because God gave him two heads?

"They need the education and training, particularly since more and more womenare heads of their households, as much or more than anybody else," McCainsaid. "And it's hard for them to leave their families when they don't havesomebody to take care of them."It's a vicious cycle that's affectingwomen, particularly in a part of the country like this, where mining is themainstay; traditionally, women have not gone into that line of work, to saythe least," he said.-Yahoo! News and AP

Well, that explains everything then, doesn't it?

Out of curiosity, does McCain know that the percentage of female valedictorians often outweighs the male? Does he know that more and more females are receiving distinctions and honors from college over men? In that one little blurb, I can see that he implies that physical labor such as mining is only "alternatively" taken up by women rather than "traditionally" and that women neglecting their duties to stay home and take care of their children, like any good June Cleaver mother would.

If mining is a "main-stay" in that province, then more than likely women are involved. If women need more education and training to earn the same pay that men do, then really isn't he just telling women to equip themselves to take over the country? After all, in that case their intellect would further outstrip the up-starts that make more based on their genitals rather than their degrees.

But it's okay. I'm sure the GOP will find further ways to keep the women-folk in line.

Friday, April 25, 2008

The above denotes a column I found in passing recently. It belongs to the West Georgian, a newspaper belonging to the University of West Georgia, and I am highly impressed with the intelligence and quality of this column. The author is well-versed in the subject, and has been able to intelligently defend her stance in spite of some negative feedback in the comments. So, in homage to the article, I've decided to express my views on the matter. Anyone who would like to point out places where my thoughts may be unsound, or I lack some sort of education on the matter, please feel free to comment. I'll respond in a timely manner.

Abortion: it's probably one of the touchiest issues in American culture right now. I won't speak for the rest of the world. It's definitely up there with homosexuality, the death penalty, immigration, the war in Iraq, terrorism, and racism. There is a lot of room for intolerance as far as debate goes. As for me, I'm Pro-Life. Not just because I'm Christian, and therefore "have to be", but because I know that I personally could never go through with an abortion without feeling guilty for the rest of my life. I would be plagued with imagining what the child would have been like, and what it could have done for the world. Even if I didn't want a child, I would know that there are many families that want children very badly but cannot conceive, and my baby could have brought them happiness. That, too, would drive me deeper into guilt.

I believe that life begins at conception, because science tells us that cells are alive. That cell becomes what we are - human beings, living, breathing, thinking. Only God knows when the soul is implanted, and when thoughts begin. But my beliefs effect only my decisions. I can share my beliefs with people, but I should not be given the power to prevent them from making their own decision. If abortion was made illegal, then people would still have abortions. People will always have abortions. They would just have the abortions in unsafe ways. Then these women would die, along with their unborn babies, and we would lose two lives, instead of one. There are radical pro-life groups out there that take protesting to the extreme, and make the women who have abortions out to be complete monsters. Sex hungry whores. Baby killers.

I had a friend once who was opposed to using contraception because she didn't like the feel of condoms while having sex. She was impregnated several times, and each time, though I begged her to go to an abortion clinic if she insisted on getting rid of the baby, she preformed the abortion herself by pressing hard on her stomach. This is dangerous -- if it didn't work, it could have injured the baby severely, made her sterile, or made delivery very difficult. In doing this (several times) she could have injured herself to the point where she would be unable to have children in the future, if she chose to.

The reason that she chose not to go to a clinic was that she was afraid that she would be harrassed by others, kicked out of my high school (which does not allow any girl to attend who is or has ever been pregnant), and shunned by her family. She didn't want to have children, and she couldn't consider carrying the baby for adoption purposes because that would alert others to her pregnancy. So she took matters into her own hands.The point of the above story: people shouldn't be made to feel guilty about the choices that they make by people who don't understand their situation. Trust me: no matter what, you have no right to judge. If you don't believe, read the Bible. God agrees with me.If you really don't like the fact that someone you know is getting an abortion, you can talk to them and try to understand why they want to get an abortion and whether it is possible to change their mind. But in the end, it's their choice, not yours, and taking away that choice would be a violation of freewill. It's constitutionally protected. Look it up.And if you really want to decrease the number of abortions, then swallow the fact that people are going to have sex. As this is the case, education on sex, and tools that can help prevent pregnancy and STDs would really be the best way to go. There is no double standard for sex, and a woman is not going to turn into a whore if she decides to have sex. True, abstinence is the only course that guarentees being pregnancy and STD free, but that is a post for another time.

I welcome all questions, comments, ect. To contact me, please email me at shksprfm@uga.edu. Allow up to 24 hours for me to respond. I answer all emails personally. If you are commenting on a particular post, and would like to have the response published in my blog, I would be happy to do so. In the event that you would like to include your picture in the response post, please attach it to your email.

Guest Posting

So far, Disclosures has been a one-woman operation, but I would love to have additional voices on the blog.

Guest posts should include original commentary on the chosen topic. If your post is pulling information from some other source, please give credit to that source near its first reference. Also, when you send the post, please include a link to the source in question. Posts that do not give credit to their sources will not be posted.

Please include "guest post" in the subject of the email, and the post in question in the body. Include in the body of the email any tags you believe are appropriate for the post. Otherwise, I will tag the post as I feel appropriate.

If you send me a guest post, I prefer that you send me a short bio. Tell me who you are, where you're from, etc. You don't have to put your last name or exact city, if you don't want to. Just tell me the important parts. Tell me whether or not I can publish your email, and if you have a blog, feel free to give me a link to it. I'll put it in the post.

Disclosures is the current blogging endeavor of Tiffany Stevens. She created the blog in an attempt to hone her column writing skills, in addition to creating a better understanding of internet news trends. From these wishes emerged a mostly political based blog, often indulging in sarcasm, social commentary, and marginal news.

The title of Disclosures was borne out of joke between Tiffany and Alex Huckaby, a very close friend of Tiffany. Alex has a standing tradition of proclaiming that Tiffany is a dirty feminist during the times when she embarks on rants about issues related to the study.

Disclosures is a fairly young blog and still going through the early stages of development. As such, currently it is a one woman operation. However, Tiffany is open to branching into a larger project and perhaps including guest posts. Those interested should e-mail Tiffany directly using the contact section of the blog.

The Woman Behind the Curtain

Tiffany Stevens is a Christian feminist who is currently working on completing her bachelor's degree. She is majoring in journalism and women's studies, and plans to pursue a career in newspaper journalism. Current projects include working on a couple of novels (to be completed at an undetermined date), playing with the band Wake, and contributing to Shattered Fate. Tiffany enjoys reading, writing, knitting, playing or listening to music, and spending an incredible amount of time watching strange documentaries and movies aired on independent news stations.